Using US Natural Resource Damage Assessment to understand the environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine.

The article focuses on the environmental damages caused by military conflict, using Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a case study, and proposes the application of the US Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process to systematically quantify ecological injuries and estimate reparations for restoration. It outlines a five-step preliminary damage assessment approach that can be conducted remotely during wartime and refined postconflict through in-country verification, emphasizing the need to establish baseline environmental conditions despite preexisting industrial pollution and conflict-related degradation in eastern Ukraine. The NRDA framework, aligned with evidentiary standards in Western legal systems, complements existing United Nations Environment Programme postconflict environmental assessments by providing a science-based, legally defensible method to support environmental reparations and promote sustainable postwar recovery. While international law currently lacks a comprehensive mandate to address wartime environmental damages or recognize ecocide as a prosecutable crime, the NRDA methodology offers a practical tool for Ukraine and other nations to document damages and seek compensation for ecological restoration.